These three points are located directly over the
heart and correlate with the most common location of bruises when commotio
cordis occurs. Commotio cordis is translated from Latin to mean heart
concussion. It is usually caused by a relatively low energy blow to the chest
directly over the heart silhouette. Commotio cordis is almost always fatal, even
when CPR is initiated by trained bystanders including physicians. Recent
medical science has elucidated the mechanism behind this mystery and has found
that it is related to the location of impact, the force of impact, and the timing
of the cardiac cycle. This phenomenon has been reported to occur during baseball
games, hockey games, and assaults. It is interesting that lethal dim mak points
directly correlate with bruises found on the victims of commotio cordis. These points have been named the autonomic heart points because they can
be set up to cause different effects by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Check back for the upcoming article on commotio
cordis.